Evander Kane thinks pretty highly of himself. That’s not exactly a shocking headline, but his latest comments in regards to his goal production might be. Though his best goal total in a season was 30 in 2011-12 and last year he lit the lamp just 19 times, Kane told the Ottawa Sun he’s capable of much more.
“I said when I got drafted that I can score 50 and I know I can score 50. Playing with the right guys and playing with those guys consistently and obviously staying healthy is a big part of it too.
The sky is the limit.”
Injuries played a role in Kane failing to reach the 20-goal plateau last year, but a jump to 50 would be pretty optimistic, to say the least. Kane is often considered to be a player capable of larger things, but is a 50-goal campaign realistic? Probably not.
The assertion above isn’t a slam on Kane, but it is a testament to the difficulty of the achievement. Wikipedia (we know, not the best source) cites that the 50-goal mark has been reached a total of 186 times in NHL history by a combined total of 90 skaters. It’s an elusive group. We all know Kane has some untapped potential, but few players in the league’s history had what it takes to hit a 50+ goal season.
Still, it’s safe to say Kane would benefit from a more talented cast of teammates. His ceiling would be higher had he been on a different team, but it’s controversial – a mild controversy when compared to other things Kane has said – to hear him directly call out the talent around him in Winnipeg. He reiterated that he’s happy with the Jets, but it’s kind of interesting to see him say that his potential is limited with the current group around him.
